To Thine Own Self
by MagicalSwordsman
Summary: Lucina believes that she has to change herself in order to win Robin over. Robin assures her that she doesn't have to change a thing.


**Author's Note: Hello, all! I was very pleased with how my last story turned out, so I decided to write another with Robin(F) and Lucina. This time, the events are through Lucina's perspective.**

 **Disclaimer: I (still) own nothing!**

* * *

 _ **To Thine Own Self**_

* * *

This mansion is without a doubt a circus disguised in the form of housing for fighters. Unless otherwise stated, there are scheduled fights around the clock. Who participates in these fights, however, is up to Master Hand. This leaves plenty of time for everyone else to train, though most fighters tend to unwisely spend their free time socializing or causing mischief.

Hence the aforementioned circus.

On days like today, where the most noisy of the bunch are free to do as they please, I often join Robin in quiet. Unfortunately, Robin is currently scheduled for multiple brawls, forcing me to move onto Plan B.

"You cheated!"

"A blue shell isn't cheating! It's programmed into the game!"

"I would've won if it wasn't for that lame item!"

I only wish that Plan B wasn't so… obnoxiously loud, to put it mildly. I never play them for myself, but apparently video games are a big hit amongst certain individuals, namely the children. The 'game room' is secluded in one of the farthest areas of the mansion, so it's either listen to Toon Link and Ness argue over Mario Kart mechanics, or walk out into the lion's den.

I hope Robin finishes her fights soon.

"Are you waiting for her?"

I nearly jump off of the leather couch I'm seated on, alarmed by the person that sat next to me without my notice. I look over to see Pit grinning ear to ear at me, the angel looking absolutely thrilled to have startled me. I guess I should learn to stop thinking aloud.

"You really should!"

Sigh. I really should.

"Erm. What's… up, Pit?" I try to strike up conversation, using conversational techniques that Robin suggested. According to her, my manner of speaking is 'too formal and stiff.' Still, being formal is how I was raised; growing up in a castle, surrounded by nobles for a majority of your life, will have an influence on the way you speak.

Pit doesn't reply, instead continuing to look directly at me with the cheesiest grin I've ever seen on another hum- that I've ever seen on an angel.

As his eyes seemingly look into my soul, I stare back, engaging in a silent staring contest of sorts. This sounds like something Robin would enjoy, just to add another victory under her belt. Pit's will is clearly outmatching my own, his smile increasing tenfold (how did he do that?) when I eventually succumb to the urge to blink.

"I win!" He pumps his fist into the air, shouting at the top of his lungs. This act causes Ness and Toon Link to turn their bodies away from the screen, only long enough to simultaneously shake their heads at Pit's antics.

"T-This wasn't a contest!"

I should stop kidding myself. That was clearly a contest. He ignores my protests and pats me on the shoulder. "You never answered my question!"

Good lord, does this boy have no sense of volume control? I wouldn't be shocked in the slightest if someone told me he's suffering from severe hearing loss. My own musings aside, I can't quite remember what Pit's question was, another thing that he waves off with a hearty laugh.

"I asked if you were waiting for Robin!"

I catch myself before I bark out, 'Of course I am!' Anyone with functioning eyes could tell that Robin and I spend ample amounts of time together, but we _are_ both newcomers here. I should give him the benefit of the doubt, even if he has been trying my patience since we've started this conversation. I reply with a half-hearted, "Yes, I am," my mind set on ending this conversation swiftly.

Things get increasingly weird as he leans in close to me, his eyes as wide as they can possibly get. I try to lean my own head backwards to avoid this invasion of my personal space, but he's intent on studying my face. Why? I have no earthly idea. This is without a doubt the most bizarre interaction I've had with anyone since my arrival.

"Are you going to tell her?"

I'm not sure if I was taken aback by his sudden shift in position, or by the randomness of his question. I think about getting up from this couch and making a beeline for the door, but I have a horrible feeling that he won't let me escape

"Tell who what?"

I suddenly wonder if all angels are like this, or if Pit is a special case. Either way, Palutena must be pulling her hair out constantly, having to deal with Pit on a regular basis.

"Tell Robin that you're secretly in love with her!"

My blood runs cold as the words leave his mouth. So many questions are running through my head, but I'm so stunned that I can barely get any words out. "I. How. What. Um."

His whole body rocks back and forth, in time with his laughter. I'm beginning to wonder if he takes anything seriously. If he did, he would've noticed the look of complete rage in my eyes, my eyebrows furrowing in anger. He catches his breath before explaining himself. "Oh man, your reactions are hilarious!"

"I'm not laughing!"

"How could you not? It's pretty funny."

He wipes a tear from his eye. Apparently my discomfort and anger is funny enough to move angels to tears. As he calms himself, I ask what he's talking about, wording it specifically so that it is void of any humor. Minutes of my life have been lost waiting for his constant laughter to die down so that I may speak.

"I heard you in your room talking about how much you love Robin."

My mind blanks.

"You… You HEARD me? In my ROOM?!"

"Well yeah. Sometimes Lady Palutena gets bored and asks me to check up on the other Smashers. You know, looking for gossip and stuff."

He says this so nonchalantly, like it's something normal he's come to expect from the green-haired goddess. Perhaps it's the angels who are pulling their hair out, having to deal with Palutena.

"That's eavesdropping!"

"It's not 'eavesdropping'! I'm just going up to people's doors and listening in on conversations they don't want me to hear."

"What you described is the exact definition of eavesdropping."

"Oh, I guess it is!"

I pinch the bridge of my nose with my fingertips. There's no reasoning with one such as Pit - he's off in his own, happy little world. Rather than teach him the cons of spying on people's intimate thoughts, I decide to question him on the more important subject at hand. "What exactly did you hear? Word for word."

"Let's see." He taps his finger to his chin, and I can't tell if he's actually thinking or merely pretending to think. "You said, 'My father might not trust me with Robin,' and, 'I doubt she will ever return my feelings.' That's basically what you said, yep!"

His impersonation of me is strikingly accurate. So much so that I feel my face heat up out of embarrassment. "You didn't tell anyone, did you?"

"Besides Lady Palutena, no. And these guys are too into their game to listen to me."

I figured as much, but I can't help but let a groan slip out from between my lips anyway.

"Why don't you think she'll like you the same way?"

I open my mouth to give a stern reply - who does this angel think he is, prying into my private life? - but I have second thoughts. This could be the perfect opportunity to vent my emotions to another person that isn't Robin. It's mostly because Robin happens to be the one I'm venting about, but that's not important.

"Well… she's always commenting about how 'stiff' and 'formal' I come across. I feel as though I'm too plain or unexciting for her."

Pit ponders my words for a moment, his eyes looking toward the ceiling, letting out an audible 'Hmm' for emphasis. Emphasis for thinking. He's quite the card, this one. Does Dark Pit do this as well? The mental imagery of the dark angel smiling makes my body shake uncontrollably. What a scary thought.

"I think I know what you need!"

* * *

I place my right hand on the wall in an attempt to steady myself as I walk. How any woman could wear these god-forsaken death traps known as 'heels' escapes my understanding. I can barely see where I'm walking, the eyeliner and other makeup combinations threatening to invade my pupils at a moment's notice.

When Pit said that he 'knew what I needed,' I didn't expect that what I needed was a makeover. The angel boy marched me over to Peach and Zelda, where the two princesses enthusiastically changed my whole appearance. I can live with the ponytail, the makeup, the sleeveless top, and even the, albeit tiny, skirt.

But these heels. These heels must have been forged by the fell dragon himself.

As I make my way to Robin's room, I can see the odd glance here and there from other Smashers who walk by. I must look like a massive fool, stumbling and tripping with every other step that I take. Carefully placing one foot in front of the other, I find myself at the entrance to Robin's quarters before long. Although this look is new to me, I can't help but feel a surge of pride. Pit, Peach, and Zelda all seemed to approve of my wardrobe change, showering me with compliments all the while. It was awkward, but it filled me with confidence.

I knock a few times on Robin's door and hear her voice call out to me from behind it. "Who is it?"

"It's Lucina."

"Oh, Lucina! Ahem. The almighty Robin allows you entry into her humble, yet amazingly neat, abode. Enter if you so desire, mortal, and bask in the glory of the greatness that is the genius Robin!"

"Errrrrr…"

Robin chuckles at her own self aggrandizement. She must be in a wonderful mood today, if she's putting on this whole routine. Her brawls were most likely met with victories. "Come in, come in. The door's open."

I slowly open her bedroom door, taking a second to peer inside rather than throw it wide open. It appears that Robin is sitting at her desk, her right side facing the doorway. I stumble over to her, poking her on the shoulder as I get close. She pushes her work aside as she turns to address me. However, her jaw drops as she notices my new appearance. I give her the most seductive smile I can manage - 'You have to seduce her!' Peach had said. I smile like this for what feels like an eternity, before Robin finally reacts.

She's… laughing? Is there laughing gas stored in this mansion somewhere?

"L-Lucina! Hahaha! W-What's that on your face?" She slaps her knee and moves about in a way that could only rival Pit's own unrestrained laughter. "The loser of the Risk game was only supposed to buy lunch for the winner. I-I don't remember making _this_ part of the deal!"

The fact that she finds this humorous is both insulting and aggravating. My irritation grows as she goes on with no signs of stopping. I stomp my foot in frustration. "S-Stop that at once!"

My voice shakes as I try, and fail, to be intimidating. My frustration only seems to fuel her laughter even more, like throwing logs into a fire. "I can't help it. I mean, look at you! It's so goofy!"

I want to yell and scream at her for being so insensitive. I want to pull out my Falchion and challenge her to a duel for not taking me seriously. I find myself unable to do either; my legs are no longer able to support me, my whole body slowly falling to the ground in a heap. I curse myself as tears begin to roll down my cheeks, my hands shooting up to protect my makeup from smearing. Not that it matters at this point.

"Lucina!" Robin quickly scrambles to my side, kneeling to look me in the eyes. "Hey hey, I'm-I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to make you cry. Shh, it's okay."

She pulls me close to her chest, holding me tightly, and stroking my hair, as I sob. Blast it all! All I want is to fight out of her grip and tell her what an insensitive jerk she can be sometimes. Even if it is in jest, her brand of joking can go too far. It's hard, however, to stay angry at her when she does things like this! Her hair gently brushes my cheek as I sob into her shirt, effectively soaking it.

Robin helps me to my feet, before leaving the room. When she returns, she hands me my normal set of clothes. "You go get cleaned up and uh… we can talk when you're done?" She says this almost like a question, as if she's unsure of what just happened. I don't necessarily blame her - we've teased each other plenty in the past, but this was different. I wanted to impress her, yet she didn't take anything seriously at all. Nevertheless, I nod my head and head for her shower, taking my clothes with me as I do so.

* * *

I barely start to dry my body off before I hear Robin from behind the bathroom door. I guess she was unable to wait any longer to talk, making her move as soon as she heard the noise from the shower come to a halt. "I'm sorry, Lucina. Really. I had no idea this stuff was so important to you. You know, makeup and dressing 'girly' and whatnot."

I know she meant no harm with her joking - that's in her nature. It still stung greatly, but not because I care about makeup. "I don't. In fact, I hate this stuff. It makes my face itchy, and I can barely walk with these loose-fitting clothes."

I can almost hear the sounds of confusion coming from within the room. "Then why…?"

"I was speaking with Pit today, and he told me that the best way to impress someone is to change the way you look - that it was imperative to look as different as possible." I decide not to leave out any details of my earlier conversation with Pit. I tell her everything, even how Peach and Zelda worked for over an hour to find a suitable wardrobe that complemented my skin tone and bone structure.

At least, I'm fairly certain that's what they told me.

"Okay, first of all: Don't ever listen to Pit. He has the mentality of a child. And he's an idiot."

Duly noted.

"Secondly, where on earth did he get the crazy idea that you needed to be different?" She asks this question incredulously, causing me to believe that she already knows the answer. I hate how quickly she can come to conclusions, especially when she's interrogating others. Me being the one under her microscope makes this twenty times worse.

"Well, I uh… I might have told him that I'm plain and frigid, so he suggested I make myself look more exciting!" I attempt to explain my case, but it sounds more like a lame excuse to pass off blame, if anything.

"Who said you were frigid?!"

"You did! You said I come across as stiff!"

I can hear Robin sigh loudly from the other side of the bathroom door. Am I about to be scolded?

"Lucina, when I said that you were 'stiff,' I meant that you should try relaxing a little more, not change the way you look! I wanted you to be able to talk to people more easily!"

I'm not sure of how I should reply to this. Maybe I took Robin's words too much to heart, but that's only because I admire her so much. I wanted to change for her, only that backfired as well. Conflicted, I remain silent. Luckily, she shatters that momentary silence instantly.

"It's not all your fault, though. I shouldn't have told you to try speaking more loosely either. I should've known that you'd get carried away. You do that a lot." She adds a twinge of lightheartedness to that last part, easing the tension a little. We fall into another silence, this one more comfortable, and I take this opportunity to get dressed in my normal attire.

Before long, she speaks up yet again. "Hey, Lucina?"

"Yes?"

"Why were you trying to impress me?"

I freeze. Oh, no, I was afraid of this. If only Robin weren't so inquisitive, then perhaps I could've gotten away with not having to talk about what I've been dreading for the longest time. I finish dressing myself and, deciding that this conversation should happen face-to-face, begin to enter Robin's room once more. I don't bother with my tiara, carrying it in my hands as I exit the bathroom.

Robin allows me to walk by her. I stand in the center of the room - our eyes meet, and I instantly regret entering the game room and speaking with Pit. That angel is nothing but trouble. "I thought that if I changed the way I looked, you would be impressed, and then maybe you'd be…" I swallow hard, bracing myself for the next, possibly friendship altering, words I'm about to say to her.

"Lucina?"

"Then maybe you'd be attracted to me the way that I am to you."

My brain tells me to hide, but I don't listen. My legs tremble, ready to run away, but I don't leave. Instead, I look into Robin's eyes. To my surprise, she smiles at me.

"I want you to be yourself, that's it. You impress me by being you. Geez, if you had only asked me beforehand, you could've avoided looking like a clown."

Before I can argue with her, I feel her snatch the tiara that was previously clasped between my fingers. Slowly, delicately, she places it atop my head. Rapidly, too rapidly for my liking, she takes her smooth lips and plants them onto my own. It was only a tiny peck - akin to a kiss a distant aunt would give at a family reunion - but it was extraordinary.

Robin's face is scrunched up in what looks to be disgust. "Blech. Sorry, it's not you. I got some of your lipstick in mouth."

Rather than ask how that's even possible, I do the one thing everyone else but me has done today - I laugh, hard.

"Okay, okay, Ms. Giggles. I believe you owe me lunch, right?"

I whimper in defeat as I feel how little my wallet weighs. "I don't suppose we could go Dutch?" I pose this question, knowing full well what her response will be.

Robin wags a lone finger at me. "Oh, little Lucina. If only you were as good at Risk as you are at telling these jokes of yours."

My spirits completely uplifted, I follow Robin out into the main lobby of the mansion. Though we're going out to enjoy a meal, neither of us bothers to change - Robin remains in her robe and I in my overtly blue garb.

I have the strangest feeling that being myself on this outing is going to work out splendidly.


End file.
